Teddy
by WerewolfDoctor
Summary: After the final battle Harry talks to Teddy about life, his parents and the future.


"Well," said Harry, collapsing beside the cot, "I did it Teddy, I beat him. It's over. It's all finally over." He looked at the small gurgling baby and chuckled. "You don't care do you? You don't even know who _he_ is," Harry paused, "you lucky thing. You will one day though, you'll hear all sorts of things."

Harry reached into the cot and stroked Teddy's now jet-black hair. "I'm sorry Teddy," he whispered, "I couldn't save them. I tried, I promise I tried. I fought so hard. In the end I saved a lot of people, I guess, but not them. Not the people who matter to you. Not your mum and dad and now you're an orphan, just like me," his voice was suddenly fierce, "it was rubbish for me though. When I was a kid I never knew love or friendship or family. It'll be different for you, I promise. I've no idea what to do, how to look after a baby, but I'll do my best, I'll give you a family. I'll never replace them, I know. I wouldn't want to, and you'll always long for them. I'll tell you loads of stories about them and they'll never be forgotten. It won't be enough, it'll never be enough, but it will be something." Harry slumped back again and stared at the ceiling. Teddy was still looking at him with wide curious eyes. It was a long time before Harry spoke again.

Harry ran his hand through his even – messier – than - usual hair. It still hadn't been cut after his year in the wilderness, despite Mrs Weasley's protests. "I guess I'll have to grow up now," he said softly. "Really grow up and not go running off after Dark Lords if I'm going to look after you, be a … I don't want to say father, because I'm not, but I'll be something like that. I hope," he snorted softly. "Y'know, right after Remus, that's your dad, asked me to be your godfather I went and robbed Gringotts. Even Sirius never did that. I had to rob it; I didn't just rob it for the fun of it. Not that anybody would rob Gringotts for the fun of it, but I _had_ to. It worked as well. I don't know how, but the whole mad scheme worked." Harry noticed with a smile that Teddy's eyes had now turned green.

Harry fingered an old, battered photo, "They're all gone now, the Marauders. I'll have to tell you about them sometime. My dad and your dad and my godfather were all friends when they were at Hogwarts, and they were called the Marauders. Moony, Padfoot and Prongs … and Wormtail, I suppose, but don't talk to me about him 'cos I'll only get angry and I'm not very good at controlling my anger. I guess I'll have to work on that. I _will_ work on that. Your dad was happy when he was at Hogwarts, really happy. He had real friends for the first time in his life there, a bit like me," Harry looked at the cot mock sternly. "Not like you though," he said, "You'll have plenty of friends before you go to Hogwarts, and while you're there and after you've left."

"I like to think he was happy when he was a teacher there as well and I really think he was. He loved teaching and he was the best teacher I ever had. Your dad was happiest when he had you though, I think. He looked like he'd just swallowed a galleon of Felix Felicis when I saw him at Shell Cottage. The world was going to hell but he was happy 'cause he had you," Harry smiled lazily. "That's what you do Teddy. You're a little miracle, you know that?"

"I didn't know your mum so well though," Harry told Teddy, slightly guiltily. "I mean, I didn't see her much and I met her two years after I met your dad and I saw your dad a lot when he was Professor Lupin. Your mum was brilliant though. She was funny and friendly. An amazing witch, even if she was terminally clumsy and she would kill anyone who called her by her first name so everyone called her Tonks. I don't know that much about her though so you'll have to go to your Gran if you want to know about Tonks."

There was another long pause. "What do I do now Teddy?" Harry asked, looking towards the cot. "Pretty much all my life I've been fighting Voldemort, and now he's gone. There's a great big whole where the hunt for revenge for my parents murder, kill or be killed madness was before. So what do I do now? I know I wanted to become an Auror, but that was partly because I thought it would help with fighting Voldemort and besides, I can't really bring myself to work for the Ministry after … after everything. I can't trust them. I mean, I know your mum was an Auror, and Mad-Eye, and I'm not saying they were bad, but a lot of … stuff has happened with the Ministry and me. And they weren't exactly nice to Remus or Sirius either. I really don't know what to do with myself," Teddy reached his arms up, hoping to be picked up. Harry grinned, picked him up and cradled him in his arms. "I'm glad I've got you, Teddy," he said. "I'm so glad I've got you."


End file.
